On Friday, gunmen abducted 315 children and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State, Nigeria. As of now, 50 of the kidnapped children have reportedly escaped and have been reunited with their families, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria. A military-led search and rescue operation is ongoing for the remaining 265 children and the 12 teachers.
In response to the mass abduction, authorities in several states, including Niger and Kebbi, have ordered the closure of schools. This decision follows a separate incident in Kebbi on Monday, where 20 pupils were also kidnapped from a boarding school. Additionally, 38 individuals taken from a church in Kwara State last week have been freed, though two people were killed during the church attack.
The incident highlights a growing concern over the safety of educational institutions in Nigeria. Local police report that armed men stormed the school around 2:00 AM, leading to the mass abduction. There are allegations that St. Mary’s School had ignored a directive to close its boarding facilities due to intelligence suggesting imminent attacks, although the school has not commented on this matter.
The Nigerian government is facing criticism over the frequency of such kidnappings, which are often perpetrated by criminal gangs seeking ransom. Efforts to prohibit ransom payments have had limited success in curbing these activities. In a related event, President Bola Tinubu has postponed foreign engagements to address these escalating security issues.
The framework of violence in Nigeria involves attacks that are not solely defined by religious lines, with many victims being Muslims as well. The Nigerian government has dismissed claims of systematic persecution of Christians, asserting that attacks are directed at those of various faiths who oppose extremist ideologies. The long-standing issues of insecurity in Nigeria have drawn attention both domestically and internationally.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpwk5qzzppzo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss